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Can retention forestry help conserve biodiversity? A meta-analysis
Katja Fedrowitz1, Julia Koricheva2, Susan C Baker3
1Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences P.O. Box 7044, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
The Journal of Applied Ecology
|January 2, 2015
Summary
Retention forestry moderates biodiversity loss from industrial harvesting, supporting more forest and open-habitat species than clearcuts. However, it may not fully sustain specialized forest-interior or open-habitat species.
Area of Science:
- Forestry Science
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Industrial forestry often simplifies forest structure and alters species composition.
- Retention forestry, involving leaving trees during harvest, was introduced to mitigate biodiversity loss from clearcutting.
- It is now a common practice in boreal and temperate regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review and meta-analyze the effects of retention forestry on biodiversity.
- To assess if retention forestry moderates negative impacts of clearcutting on flora and fauna in the short term.
- To compare biodiversity in retention cuts with both clearcuts and un-harvested forests.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review protocol was employed.
- A meta-analysis of 78 studies was conducted, including 944 biodiversity comparisons.
- Comparisons were made between retention cuts and clearcuts, and between retention cuts and un-harvested forests.
Main Results:
- Retention cuts supported higher richness and abundance of forest species than clearcuts.
- Retention cuts supported higher richness and abundance of open-habitat species than un-harvested forests.
- Overall species richness was higher in retention cuts compared to clearcuts, but some forest-interior and open-habitat specialists showed reduced suitability.
Conclusions:
- Retention forestry effectively moderates negative harvesting impacts on biodiversity, supporting its wider use.
- It offers a promising approach for integrating biodiversity conservation with production forestry.
- Retention forestry alone may not be sufficient for conserving highly specialized species requiring specific forest-interior or open-habitat conditions.
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